slowly, possibly, uneasily, lovely, gently, beautifully, basically, definitely

1. Returning Resident/Occasional Importer Registration Form To the Comptroller of Customs and Excise: P ursuant to Customs request, I hereby app ly for reg istration as a user of AS Y CUD A W orld and to this effect I provide the follow ing details: Private Individual Sole Trader Other.
2. Occasional definition: 1. Not happening or done often or regularly: 2. Not happening or done often or regularly: 3.
3. Definition of occasionally adverb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

In this lesson we're looking at rules such as dropping or keeping the 'e' with ly, when there's a double l + ly, and changing y to i + ly

Occasionally definition, at times; from time to time; now and then.

The rules are quite simple and reliable but some of the words are tricky to spell: definitely, probably, absolutely, likely, reasonably, hopefully

Let's look at 6 rules around adding -ly to words

Rule 1
We just add -ly to words ending in a consonant
slow + ly = slowly
endless + ly = endlessly
week + ly weekly
stupid + ly = stupidly
friend + ly = friendly
independent + ly = independently
quick + ly = quickly
quiet + ly = quietly
vivid + ly = vividly

Rule 2
When we add -ly to words ending in -ful, it makes -fully (with double l)
careful + ly = carefully
wonderful + ly = wonderfully
beautiful + ly = beautifully
faithful + ly = faithfully
peaceful + ly = peacefully
successful + ly = successfully

Rule 3
The same rule applies to other words ending in 'l' (makes a double 'l')
accidental + ly = accidentally
cool + ly = coolly
cruel + ly = cruelly
especial + ly = especially
final + ly = finally
financial + ly = financially
formal + ly = formally
general + ly = generally
lethal + ly = lethally
occasional + ly = occasionally
total + ly = totally
social + ly = socially
usual + ly = usually

Rule 4
We keep the 'e'
lone + ly = lonely
love + ly = lovely
live + ly = lively
complete + ly = completely
definite + ly = definitely
desperate + ly = desperately
extreme + ly = extremely
immediate + ly = immediately
separate + ly = separately
sincere + ly = sincerely
fortunate + ly = fortunately

Exceptions: We drop the 'e' in truly true + ly = truly (this is a common misspelled word)
we drop the 'e' in duly due + ly = duly
drop the 'e' in wholly whole + ly = wholly

Rule 5
We change the 'e' to 'y' in words ending in the consonant + le patterns (-ble, -ple, -tle, -gle, -dle, -kle)
gentle - gently
simple - simply
terrible - terribly
wrinkle - wrinkly
miserable - miserably
possible - possibly
incredible - incredibly
probable - probably
responsible - responsibly

Rule 6
When we add -ly to words ending in -y we change the 'y' to 'i' if more than one syllable
easy - easily, uneasily
happy - happily, unhappily
busy - busily
crazy - crazily
steady - steadily
lazy - lazily
necessary - necessarily, unnecessarily
shabby - shabbily
steady - steadily
greedy - greedily

But we keep the 'y' in one syllable words
shy + ly = shyly
sly + ly = slyly
coy + ly = coyly

But exceptions:
day + ly = daily
gay + ly gaily

Now try the exercise below

Occasional Lymph Node Swelling

That's it for the adding -ly to words lesson. If you're interested in learning more -ly rules check out my Spelling Rules Workbook

Occasional Lymphocytes In Csf

Or for more in-depth spelling rules lessons go to my online video course The Rules of English Spelling at curious.com -